Region II-5A
Byrnes 8-1 (3-0) at Gaffney 7-2 (3-0)
Last week Byrnes was on a bye, while Gaffney held off Dorman 29-14.
Gaffney’s offense was able to wear down the Cavaliers last week, finishing with nearly 500 yards of total offense in the win. Their attack was balanced as they were able to move the ball both in the air (Staton 231 yards passing) as well as the ground (McDowell 147 yards rushing). They’ll need more of the same against a speedy Byrnes defense. Defensively the Indians were great in the redzone, and will likely need a few redzone stops to escape with another win this week.
The Rebels should be well rested after the bye, and they’ll need to be against a Gaffney team that is one of the more physical teams in the state. They got a spark from special teams in their win over Dorman two weeks ago, and may need some big plays on special teams to knock off the Indians this Friday. Quarterback Andrew Stevens was pulled in that game after 3 interceptions, and Zy Landrum took over and led a run-heavy attack to put the game away late. It’ll be interesting to see what Byrnes decides to do at quarterback if Stevens struggles again early in the game.
This game is for the region title and should be another fantastic chapter to this heated rivalry. Byrnes cannot afford to turn the football over multiple times, or they will be in for a long night. I expect the Rebels to sell out to stop the run, leaving their talented secondary in a lot of one-on-one coverage. If Staton can hit some big plays down the field, like he did a week ago, Gaffney will be able to score some points. If he is inaccurate with his downfield throws, I like Byrnes to get the win. I foresee a low scoring game between these two. It’s going to be tough to put together long drives against either one of these defenses, so whoever can hit on some big plays will come out with the win, and a region title.
Dorman 3-6 (1-2) at Spartanburg 4-5 (0-3)
Dorman fell to Gaffney, while Spartanburg lost to Boiling Springs 24-17.
This could be a great game. Both teams have struggled offensively this season, while both defenses have been outstanding. Spartanburg is beat up, and quarterback T.J. Johnson will likely be a game-time decision after missing last week.
Dorman’s offense has improved throughout the year, but still struggles once inside the 30, something that will need to be better this Friday if they want to put up points on this stingy Vikings defense. This has all the makings of a low scoring, field position type game. Special teams will play a big part on Friday, as Dorman has been great in the return game this year, while Spartanburg has blocked 8 punts on the season. Whichever team can get a couple big plays on defense, or special teams is going to have the advantage. I don’t expect either offense to look great and the first team to 14 should get the win.
Dorman can lock up the 3 seed with a win, while tie-breakers would come into play if the Vikings prevail.
Region II-4A
Riverside 5-4 (2-1) at Greer 4-5 (3-0)
Greer continued to stay hot with a 56-7 win over Wade Hampton, while Riverside defeated Eastside 41-20.
This is another region title game. Greer has outscored its region opponents by an average of 38 points per game. Last week, the Yellow Jackets dominated the Generals with the ground game, as both Chris Hall and LaDanian Martin topped 100 yards before getting some rest.
Riverside will give Greer a much better test than last week, but I believe the results will be the same. Look for Martin to have another big night, as the Warriors have struggled to stop the rushing attack from the better teams they have played this season. Greer should top 40 points again, and with a win would clinch the 1 seed, and home field throughout the upperstate playoffs. Coach Young and his team appear to be peaking at the right time.
